Minutes at a Time
by skipple
Summary: This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time.  When will you decide to stop riding along by the minute, and start truly living?  CC/LL
1. What Beginning?

**"_This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time."_**

**_-_Fight Club**

* * *

_"I heard a rumor today."_

_He looked up from his meal, examining her face with a raised eyebrow. She stared back at him with a knowing smirk, using an index finger to slowly twirl her spoon around the half-empty bowl of soup. The brief image of a shark circling its helpless victim flashed through his mind. He gently placed his elbows on the table and folded his hands in front of his chin, staring back at her over his knuckles._

_"Did you now?" He answered with a slight smirk of his own._

_Her eyes fell back to the swirling soup on the table, her smile growing slightly at the edges. "I did. It's about you."_

_He raised his eyebrows at her in response, though his smirk betrayed the act of surprise. She continued spinning the spoon around the edges of the bowl without looking up at him._

_"The_ very_ trustworthy girls of Dr. Hammond's nine o'clock Calculus class claim they saw something _quite_ interesting over the weekend." Her finger gently lifted off the spoon, letting it continue to travel in a circle around the bowl without her touch. She briefly glanced up at him before returning her attention back to the utensil in front of her. "They claim they saw _you_," her finger fell back on the spoon, interrupting it from its mindless revolutions, "at the movie theater. _With a girl." _Her eyes shot back up at him as she said the last word, gleaming with a kind of satisfaction one might expect to see from Sherlock Holmes after solving one of his famous mysteries._

_The boy in front of her smiled outright and quickly tilted his head down, hiding the redness of his cheeks with his raven bangs. "Girls and their gossip..."_

_Her grin widened more as she leaned down over the table in order to look up at his eyes. "So?" she asked with uncharacteristic enthusiasm, "Who is it? Who managed to warm the cold Demon's heart?"_

_He gave her an annoyed look. "It was just a date, Witch."_

_"Just a date? You haven't 'dated' anyone since grade school. And answer my question!" She sat back up and poked him in the chest, earning another annoyed glare from the purple eyes across the table._

_"Shirley Fenette."_

_"Oooooh? The ginger?" The annoyed look on the boy's face increased twofold as his cheeks turned redder._

_"Yes, the _redhead."

_"Hmmm..." She crossed her arms and leaned back, brows furrowed in mock consideration. "She is a cute one, isn't she?"_

_He continued to glare at her, but didn't deny it._

_"Too nice, though. And she has the personality of a wet sack of potatoes."_

_He scoffed and rolled his eyes in response, copying her stance by crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow at her. "She isn't my type? Then who is, Witch?"_

* * *

**_Minutes at a Time_**

* * *

I

"What Beginning?"

* * *

The sounds of a garbage truck going through its morning routine thundered up the wet walls of the narrow alley, bouncing between fire escapes, rattling windows and dodging drainpipes before finally making their way through the cracked window of Lelouch Lamperouge's tiny apartment. They searched unceremoniously around the room, rebounding along the walls and ceiling before finding their victim crumpled beneath some sheets in a corner.

The man emitted a pitiful groan as more crashes and bangs poured into the cramped room, echoing over and over between his ears to the beat of his throbbing headache. He tried to take a deep breath in order to create another, louder groan, but discovered his airways were blocked by the layers of sheets over his head. He randomly clawed at the obstructions, peeling away at the folds like a lost stagehand behind a curtain before finally freeing his head and taking in his long-awaited breath. He lay there for several minutes, breathing the moist, slightly polluted air before reluctantly opening his eyes. He regretted it instantly, giving another long groan as the sunlight hit him like a hammer to the eyeballs.

Making more noises and cursing profusely, he began crawling across the cold hardwood floor of his apartment, eyes shut tight. He reached his arm out and felt randomly around on the floor until his fingers grasped the crumpled heap of the pants that he assumed he was wearing the night before. His fingers crawled through the folds of the fabric and entered a pocket, finding a lump of plastic buried in its depths.

He rolled to his side and held the object in front of him, painfully opening his eyes to examine it. The text on the tiny screen lit up to his touch, displaying a message which earned yet another groan from the young man holding it.

_4 Missed Calls!_

The text dimmed after a few seconds, but he could still read the little message in the light from the window. He stared at it for several seconds, and it stared back. He could almost see its smug, condescending attitude plastered across the backlit screen. '_You're not getting out of this one, idiot!' _he heard it whine, its shrill, patronizing voice piercing his eardrums. '_She deserves better, anyway!'_

He glared at it and almost told it to shut up, but changed his mind for the sake of his own sanity. Suddenly, it _really did_ make a shrill noise and started vibrating as its irritating ringtone sounded off like a blaring klaxon inside the cramped room. He dropped it in surprise, but quickly composed himself and picked it up, shaking his head to try and clear his mind. He didn't need to check the screen, he already knew who it was. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat, mentally and physically preparing himself for the imminent cellular verbal abuse before flipping it open and putting it timidly to his hear.

"H-hello?" He coughed and mentally cursed himself for being so obvious.

"Lelouch?" A voice he was not expecting to hear came through the other end. His eyes shot open and he sat up quickly in surprise.

"C.C.?" He croaked, which threw him into another coughing fit as his dry throat caught up with him. The room began to spin slightly and, realizing that he sat up far too quickly considering the state he was currently in, he put a hand down to support himself.

There was a pause as nothing but static came through the phone. Then, before he could say anything, she spoke up again. "Have you been crying?"

"Ugh. What? No. Huh?"

The tiny speaker crackled as she chuckled at his words. "You're hung over," she stated matter-of-factly.

He could _hear_ the amused smile on her face, and he couldn't help but give a little smile himself at the thought of it. "Yeah. A bit. And I'm in _loads_ of trouble, C.C."

Another series of crackles and static came from the phone. "How many times have I warned you, Lelouch? You can't keep up with him, so stop trying."

He smiled again, despite his hangover, and scooted to the wall to put his back against it. "You don't understand, he's like some kind of machine, I don't know how he does it! The Kururugi family must have steel livers to take that kind of punishment."

He could tell she moved the phone away from her mouth to laugh at that point, her distant snickers echoing through the phone lines between them. He heard her voice come nearer as she brought it back to her lips. "Well,_you_ don't, so stop acting like you're all macho and just limit yourself next time."

He sighed and let his head fall back, resting on the wall. She was right, of course. He just couldn't _stand_ letting Suzaku beat him at _anything_, even something as childish and trivial as a drinking game. Before he could think of an excuse, her voice came through again.

"So did I just wake you up?"

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorta, yeah."

He could hear a sigh come through from other end. "Isn't today-"

"Yeah. Yeah, it is." He looked up at the ceiling, silently praying to a god he didn't believe in. He slowly breathed out his nose and moved his hand to his neck, rubbing it to try to remove the tension it had developed overnight.

"Has she called you?" She asked nervously, her voice coming through quietly.

His gaze moved to the floor, staring through a dark spot on the wood as if there was something extremely interesting to look at sitting just on the other side of it. "Yeah, four times apparently."

The speaker made a strange sound that he recognized as a whistle. "Yikes, Lelouch. You're in pretty deep this time."

"Yep."

There was another moment of silence between them as he kept staring through the floor, eyes red and glazed. He could hear her soft breathing on the other end, a rhythmic pattern he was all too familiar with. He found it surprisingly soothing.

The calm was interrupted, however, by sounds of shuffling from her end, followed by her soft voice. "Get dressed and clean up your place, I'm coming over."

Surprised, he took a second to respond. "But-"

"No 'buts!' I'm coming over! Don't call her, I'll be there soon." _Click._

He sighed again and held the phone in front of him, staring at the name she had programmed into the phone herself.

_Call from __**Cheesy Crust **__ended. Duration 2:19._

He chuckled despite his situation and flipped the phone shut, sliding it into his pocket - no, wait, he still wasn't wearing any pants. He clumsily stood up, using the wall to support himself, and slipped his jeans on, looking around the room to assess the damage. Honestly, it wasn't _too_ messy; it was mostly just littered with discarded clothes and empty bottles.

Sighing for the last time, he grabbed the nearest bottle and set to work getting the apartment presentable for his uninvited guest's arrival.

Though, to be fair, calling her a "guest" is a bit of an understatement, and saying she was "uninvited" is a bit out of context. She _did_ own a copy of his key, after all. She could come and go as she pleased, and she often took advantage of it. He would occasionally come home to find an extra dish in the sink (with a few new drinks or snacks added to his inventory in exchange), or a note written on the miniature dry-erase board (which she bought just for her purposes) berating him on the messy state of his living space. More often, he'd discover her lounging on his bed or sofa, watching TV or using his laptop (she knew all of his passwords, of course). It was odd how she basically considered his little flat her "home away from home," just a short walk from her own building (which, he had to notice, was significantly nicer than his own; why she would choose to spend so much time at his place was a mystery to him).

A sudden, gentle knock on the door plucked him from his thoughts.

* * *

**_Hi, readers! __I hope you've enjoyed reading this first chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it, I'm really looking forward to continuing (and maybe actually finishing) this one!_**

**_I'm sorry if Lelouch seems pretty out of character (OOC). There's a reason for it, I promise. I actually have some semi-idea of the direction I'm going in with this one. :P_**

**_Please do write a review! Criticize, love, hate, ramble, confess. I don't know. Just write something, please? :)_**

**_Until next time, Ciao!_**


	2. A Friend in Need

**_I don't own Code Geass._**

* * *

_"Why aren't you sitting with _her_?" she mocked him, only half-joking._

_They were sitting in their usual spot, one of the little two-person tables on the far side of the cafeteria, right beside one of the huge windows that filled the place with natural light. It had been raining earlier, but now the sun was out for the first time that day, peeking through the dark clouds and refracting off the tiny droplets of water on the glass, bathing everything in a warm orange glow. He looked across the table at the girl, noticing the way the strange light played off her golden eyes._

_"It's not like I'm obligated to sit with her now, it was just one date. And she's with her friends. Plus, I don't want to leave you here alone. And this is a tradition, so..." he trailed off as she started to laugh at him. "What?"_

_"How many excuses can you come up with? I was just asking a question, you're not under cross-examination."_

_"Oh, right, sorry," he responded with an embarrassed smile._

_She shook her head at him, still chuckling. "So are you two official or not? Are you gonna go on another date?"_

_He glanced across the giant room at the orange-haired girl, thinking. "I'm not sure."_

_"Did you not have fun?"_

_"No, no, no, I had plenty of fun! She's great to be around, easy to talk to. I like her, I'm just not sure if she's... girlfriend material."_

_C.C. gave him a confused look. "Girlfriend material? Is she not hot enough for you?"_

_He shot a glare at her in response, then turned to look out the window at the steam coming off the puddles on the ground. "I'm just not sure if I can see her as anything more than a friend, you know?"_

_"I guess." She stared at the boy across from her, lost in her own thoughts. "You need a girlfriend, though."_

_He looked back at her with searching eyes. "I need one? Why?"_

_"Well, okay, you don't need one. But you're eighteen years old, about to graduate, and you've only been on one date in high school! There's loads of girls that would kill for a chance to date you!"_

_"But I'm not interested in them!"_

_"Maybe you have to give one a chance," she responded quietly, giving him a look._

_"Look who's talking, though. You haven't even been on a single date, ever!"_

_"I've told you a million times, Lelouch. I'm not the 'relationship' type; me and romance don't exactly go well together. Plus, all the single guys around here are bastards, and none of them would be willing to put up with me anyway."_

_Lelouch smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Now look who's making excuses."_

_He got her with that one. She fumbled as she tried to think up a witty remark, but gave up. "I'm just not into relationships. They're not my thing."_

_"Then why are you telling me I need a girlfriend?" He asked, rolling his eyes. "What if I'm not the relationship type, either?"_

_"I don't know." She looked back at him with an examining gaze. "I just think you'd make a good boyfriend for someone."_

_He thought for a few seconds before giving in with a sigh. "Fine. I'll give her another date."_

_She smiled, but looked away to stare out the window, eyes glowing in the orange light. "Good," she replied softly._

* * *

II

_"A Friend in Need"_

* * *

The knocks on the door sharply increased in force until he feared it might fly off its hinges from the onslaught. "Okay, okay! I'm coming!" He shuffled his feet quickly across the floor, unlocked the latch, and opened the door for the uninvited visitor.

A short, green-haired, gold-eyed girl stood before him, hands on her hips. She smirked at his face (which he assumed looked like absolute hell), then glanced down and replaced the smirk with a look of mild surprise. "Lelouch..."

He gave her a confused eyebrow-raise before glancing down at himself and noticing his bare torso. "Oh. Right." He ducked behind the door and slipped on the nearest shirt he could find as she strode in, surveying the room with a critical eye.

"Still messy," she said bluntly, her hair briefly twirling out around her as she spun on her heel to face him.

"Well," he struggled to get the shirt over his head before finally squeezing it on and patting down the wrinkles, "you didn't exactly give me advanced notice of your arrival," he articulated, the series of syllables sending him into another coughing fit.

She looked at him with a mixture of pity and amusement, then walked over to the sink to pour him a glass of water. "Granted, but couldn't you just keep the place tidy instead of letting all this crap build up?" She handed him the glass and he took it with his free hand.

"Look who's talking-" he took a sip of water and swallowed it with a grimace, "Witch."

She smiled at him and put her hands back on her hips. "Are you trying to get on every girl's bad side today, boya?"

He looked at her and took another sip of water, pausing as if to contemplate the prospect. "Not trying, no." Sip.

Her amused eyes examined him from under her green locks of hair. "Fine, whatever. Let's get to business. This giant hole you've managed to dig yourself into overnight." She walked back to the kitchen area, grabbed a kettle from the cabinet and started filling it with water as she talked. "It's 1:30 P.M. on the day of your three-year anniversary" she finished filling the kettle and placed it on the stove, turning it to high. "And you haven't even called her, much less bought her a gift or planned any kind of special night." She turned to face him and leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms in front of her. "You're in a very deep hole, but I think I might be able to help you out of it."

Lelouch put the glass of water down on the coffee table and sat on the couch, running a hand through his messy morning-hair. "This wouldn't be the first time you've helped me out," he said with a sigh.

She smiled at him knowingly. "Won't be the last, either, I suspect. You might be a genius and all, but you're completely stupid when it comes to women."

He looked up at her and, seeing her smile, grinned sheepishly. "I always can count on you, C.C."

"Well, you know what they say. 'A friend in need is a friend indeed.'"

A still silence followed her statement, the air in the room growing thicker and heavier between them. They both stared into nothing, thinking to themselves, before the silence was pierced by the gradual scream from the kettle on the stove. They snapped out of their trances and glanced at each other as the scream grew louder.

C.C. shook her head, turned and removed the kettle from the heat, slowly coaxing the room into silence once again. She poured two cups of tea and brought them over, placing them on the table and sitting on the other side of the couch from Lelouch. She propped an elbow on the armrest and a foot on the table, examining him again with those piercing eyes.

He looked back at her with a blank expression. "So? What's the plan?" he asked expectantly.

She studied him for a few more seconds before speaking. "Drink the tea."

He glanced at the cup on the table with a confused look. "Okay, that's very nice, but shouldn't I be calling her or something? Apologizing?"

C.C. scoffed, "No, it's far too late for that. Plus, she's at work isn't she? Calling her would be counter-productive at this point. No, we need to make it seem like this was all part of your overall plan. But first, we need to get rid of your hangover." She nodded towards the tea and raised her eyebrows at him.

He picked it up off the table and sipped at it as she continued.

"Alright, here's the plan. You're going to finish that tea and take a shower. After that, we need to buy her a gift. Then - you have a key to her place, right?" He nodded. "Alright, then we're going to her place, and we're going to set up the most romantic, cheesiest, sappiest dinner you've ever experienced. And she'll love it."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow at her over his cup of tea. "You really think that'll work?"

She smirked back at him with that trademark gleam in her eye. "This is Shirley Fenette we're talking about, Lelouch. Trust me, she'll love it."

* * *

**_I feel bad about how long I took to post this, especially since this part has literally been done for about a month, and it's ridiculously short. I thought I was going to make it longer, but I couldn't find a place to end it without making it just seem like two chapters... Plus, I've been super occupied with University life, so there's that... Too many excuses? Whatever._**

**_I PROMISE I will post the next chapter quicker than this one! Or... I'll try. And it'll be longer, too! Hopefully. Yikes, I'm bad at making promises._**

**_Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! Please review!_**


	3. Just Shut Up

**_I don't own Code Geass._**

* * *

_"Wait, what? Lelouch and Shirley?"_

_"Shh! Christ, Suzaku, you don't have to announce it to the entire school. And yes, Lelouch and The Ginger. What's so surprising?"_

_It was a break between classes, and they were sitting in their usual chairs at the back of the classroom, their conversation hidden in the buzz of noise created by the other students enjoying their own breaks._

_"What's so surprising? I swear, C.C., you're the two smartest kids in school, but you're both clueless."_

_She glared at him with piercing eyes that would absolutely terrify anyone who wasn't used to it. Luckily for Suzaku, he'd been given that look just about every day since he was eight. Plenty of time to adjust._

_He gave her a questioning look in return. "So you really don't get it?"_

_"Get what?"_

_He sighed and placed a hand on his forehead, resting his elbow on the desk. "How long have you known Lelouch?"_

_"Two and a half years."_

_"Okay, well, for those two and a half years, the two of you have been practically glued to each other. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was taking bets on when you'd finally get together officially. People stopped talking about it a year ago, though. I think they assumed that both of you were just keeping it a secret."_

_The girl stared at him with a mixture of anger and confusion in her eyes. "And you? You let these rumors fly around about Lelouch and me, without even trying to tell people the truth?"_

_Suzaku slid down a few inches in his seat, burying his head in his shoulders. "No- Well, yeah... I tried, at first!"_

_"At first?" The glare intensified._

_"Yeah, at first," he slid a few more inches down. "But then..."_

_"Then?"_

_"Well, he was so happy with you all the time! And you always talked about him!"_

_"So?"_

_"So...It made sense, didn't it? I also kind of assumed you two were... sort-of... together."_

_Her glare held on him as he slumped in the chair. There was a moment of silence between the two, and he could have sworn everyone in the room got quiet at once, as if to wait for something to happen. Finally, she spoke._

_"You're an idiot, Suzaku Kururugi."_

* * *

_"Listen, I'm sorry! I was just being honest with you, what was I supposed to do?"_

_She ignored him and ate her lunch in silence._

_He pouted at his untouched bento, tapping his fingers on the desk impatiently. "Come on, C.C., at least say something. You don't have to forgive me, but this silence is unbearable!"_

_She gently put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth, finally looking up to meet his eyes. "Fine. I do forgive you, Suzaku. But you're still an idiot."_

_"I know," he quickly responded in relief, picking up his own chopsticks and setting to work on his food. "But- you have to admit..." He paused to finish chewing, then continued, "the two of you do have a connection."_

_She sighed in response, and took a swig of juice. "Yeah, we do. It's called friendship."_

_"Nooo, no, no, no, no. It's more than that. I think you two like each other, you're just both too afraid to admit it."_

_Her glare quickly began to return, but he didn't notice and continued talking._

_"This Shirley girl isn't his type, and everyone knows it. She should know it. And so should he. I don't get why they're together."_

_"He likes her, he's talked to me about it," she replied, sounding more defensive than she would have preferred._

_Suzaku took another bite and rolled his eyes while chewing. "Yeah, okay, he likes her. But that doesn't mean they should be dating. He likes you more, I can guarantee that."_

_She raised her eyebrows and leaned in a bit. "Has he said anything? To you? About that?"_

_He swallowed and stabbed another morsel to eat. "Nah, but I can tell."_

_She rolled her eyes and took another swig of juice, leaning back in her chair again._

_"It's just so obvious that you both like each other, but you've managed to put each other in the friend zone! You need to take the initiative, C.C! You should tell him how you feel! I know you must be really jealous by now. Don't you want to get him for yourself before that obnoxious Finette girl takes him aw-AEYEOW!"_

_He nearly fell to the floor as he clutched his shin in pain. Somehow, he had failed to notice the increasing anger in the golden eyes of wrath, and then failed to avoid the swift boot that proceeded to hurtle toward his shin in anger._

_She reached over the little table, grabbed his shirt collar, and pulled him up to look into her eyes. "Never. Speak. Of this. Again." She let go of the collar, got up, and walked out of the room without another word; leaving Suzaku clutching his shin in pain._

_"No wonder he chose the redhead..." he grumbled through his teeth after she left earshot._

* * *

III

_"Just Shut Up"_

* * *

Lelouch's phone loudly buzzed against the table, rudely disturbing the previously peaceful sound of the shower emanating from the bathroom. C.C. glared down at it, watching it slowly glide across the surface as it vibrated, and saw Suzaku's name flashing on the screen. She grabbed it, flipped it open and placed it to her ear.

"Yes, Suzaku?"

There was a pause before he answered, "Lelouch, you sound different."

"Yep, got a sex change."

There was another pause. "C.C.?"

She thought of messing with the boy, but wasn't in the mood. "Why'd you call me?"

"I called Lelouch, not you. It's none of your business."

"Whatever it is, you know he'll tell me anyway."

She heard a sigh crackle through. "Yeah, I know. Whatever. I'll have you know that I just got a very angry text from Shirley, asking why I ruined her anniversary and telling me how I'm apparently a terrible influence on Lelouch."

C.C. couldn't help but crack a little smile, despite Lelouch's current predicament. "Ah, right. Probably has something to do with you getting him drunk the night before their anniversary."

"We were celebrating!" Suzaku defended, "And I didn't get him drunk, he got himself drunk! How is it my fault!"

She chuckled. "Well, she needs someone to blame. God forbid Lelouch actually makes a mistake for once in his life, right?"

"Ugh. She needs to accept he's not perfect. She's obsessed with the guy, but it's like she doesn't even really know him."

C.C. closed her eyes and sighed, twisting a lock of hair around her finger. "I know what you mean, but he really loves her."

"Tch. I don't think he knows her, either. He doesn't even know what he wants. You already know how I feel about it."

Her eyes narrowed. If she could, she would have given him a glare that would send him running. "Shut up. I told you we would never speak of that conversation again."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. It just bothers me, I feel like all this weird tension between them is winding up, and any minute now it'll snap. Their whole relationship is stressed and you know it."

"Maybe. But she makes him happy. That's what really matters."

"Does she, though?"

C.C. shrugged even though he couldn't see her. "He seems happy to me."

"Yeah, to you. That's because he's only happy when he's _with _you."

She would have kicked him in the crotch for that. "Alright, Suzaku! Shut up! We've been over this, you know why it just won't happen, so stop suggesting it!" She stomped the ground and suddenly realized she was standing on her feet.

Suzaku didn't say anything for a few moments, probably to let her calm down. She slowly sat back on the couch and ran her hand through her hair frustratedly. He finally spoke with a calm voice, "Yes, I remember what he said to you, but if you're going to let that stop you, then you're not the person I thought you were. She's not right for him and you know it."

She let out an ungraceful grunt. "Just mind your own business," she responded coldly.

"Fine. But you should talk to him."

"I'll tell him you called."

He sighed. "I'll talk to you later, C.C."

She replied with another grunt before being treated to the dull tone of a dead line. She clapped the phone shut and tossed it back on the table. Her hand took another exasperated trip through her hair again before she finally leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes. Suddenly, she noticed the quietness of the room.

"C.C.?"

She turned her head and looked at the boy with one eye open. He was drying his hair with a towel, wearing only his favorite jeans with no shirt. "Are you trying to seduce me again, boya?" she asked mockingly.

He smirked and picked up a shirt from on top of the dresser beside him. "I don't know, is it working?"

She smiled and let her head fall back, closing her eyes again. "It'll take more than that to impress me, Lelouch."

He didn't respond, but she could hear him pulling the shirt over his head and could feel his presence standing over her. "Who called?" He suddenly asked.

She let out an annoyed sigh and massaged the bridge of her nose, eyebrows scrunched. "Suzaku. He says Shirley's mad at him for getting you drunk last night."

Lelouch chuckled lightly. "Sounds like her. I'll talk to her about it. But why are you mad at him?"

"I'm not."

He didn't reply, but she knew without opening her eyes that he was giving her one of his doubtful, eyebrow-raised looks.

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm just a little annoyed."

"Why? What's he done now?"

"Nothing, it's stupid."

"It's not like you to worry so much about stupid things. What is it?"

"Don't ask, trust me, it really is stupid."

Again, he didn't reply, but she could still feel the doubtful look in his eyes boring into her head. After a few seconds of silence, she heard him sigh and walk back into the bathroom to get ready. His voice echoed out of the little bathroom. "Sometimes I think he likes you, you know."

Her eyes shot open and snapped to his reflection through the open door. "No, Lelouch, that is definitely not the case."

"I don't know," he glanced at her through the mirror as he skillfully worked with his drying hair, "he talks about you a lot, he's constantly concerned about you, always asking questions. I think it's pretty obvious."

She opened her mouth to speak, but didn't know what to say. She wanted to tell him the truth, that Suzaku wasn't just concerned with her, but with her relationship with Lelouch. If only it were that easy.

"Seriously, Lelouch, he's not interested," she paused, and quickly added, "and I'm not interested in him, either, for the record."

He chuckled at her and finished messing with his hair in the mirror. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

**Ooooooh geez. Sorry I've been gone for like... a while. I'm absolutely swamped with University stuff, it's around that time that all the professors decide they're going to assign huge essays, all due around the same time as each other! But I managed to squeeze this out between assignments, I hope it's not too...crappy. Well, at least it's something! Haha.**

**Review please! And feel free to make me feel guilty, maybe it'll motivate me to update sooner. :P**

**Edit: Format's screwing up, there's supposed to be an exclamation and question mark after Suzaku's "Lelouch and Shirley!" line. I know it's reeaally trivial, but it's bugging the hell out of me! Hope it didn't _completely_ ruin the story for you.**


	4. Best Friends Forever

_"She likes you, you know."_

_Suzaku flipped the television remote between his fingers periodically, switching between watching the show and glancing at Lelouch._

_"I know, that's why we're dating," Lelouch replied, annoyed._

_Suzaku smirked. "Not her. The other one."_

_He could see the expression in Lelouch's face twitch. "What are you talking about?" His eyes remained fixed on the television._

_"Who else could I possibly be talking about, Lelouch? I talked to her today, and she likes you."_

_Lelouch raised his eyebrow at his friend. "And she told you this?"_

_"No, of course not. But I can tell."_

_"Yeah, I'm sure you can," Lelouch responded sarcastically._

_A few minutes of silenced passed between the friends before Suzaku broke it during a commercial break. "I think you should be dating her instead."_

_Purple eyes darted to the boy with a hint of anger. "What?"_

_Suzaku pretended not to notice the piercing gaze. "Shirley isn't your type, you're only dating her because she's stable and practically worships you, not to mention it keeps the other girls off your back."_

_The gaze intensified. "Those are some pretty strong accusations, Suzaku."_

_"Yeah, but they're true and you know it. I think you're afraid to date that witch. You know she's smart, she's powerful, she's downright terrifying in a lot of ways. Plus, she's led you to believe that she's not interested in you, or in any guys for that matter. I can see through her bull, though. You should give her a try, see how it goes."_

_"Shut up, Suzaku, I'm happy with Shirley."_

_Green eyes examined Lelouch for a moment, as if maybe he would suddenly decide to do something extraordinarily interesting. Nothing happened. They finally returned to the television._

_"Do you really think she likes me?" Lelouch suddenly asked._

_"Definitely."_

_He raised an eyebrow at the boy skeptically._

_"Almost definitely. I'm pretty sure."_

_"Whatever," Lelouch sighed and snatched the remote out of Suzaku's hand, "She's a good friend, and I like it that way. I'm not going to ruin something that good with a bunch of stupid decisions based on rumors and undefined feelings. Thanks for the advice, but I'm happy the way things are right now."_

_Suzaku shrugged his shoulders in response. "Hey, it's your life, man."_

* * *

He watched her green hair sway back and forth as she happily led the way through the nearly empty shopping center with a gleeful smile stuck on her face and hands held behind her back as if she were resisting the temptation to reach out and touch every display that drifted past. One thing that had always been consistently true about the girl was that her happiness was the most contagious thing ever exposed to humanity. Part of the reason he could put up with her constant teasing and abuse was because, no matter how much he outwardly complained, he loved seeing that signature malicious grin of hers.

She pointed at a flower stand to her right and, without warning, abruptly turned into a small store to her left. Lelouch glanced at her before she disappeared, then made his way to the flower stand to buy the first item on C.C.'s list.

He chose a bundle of roses out of the wide variety of flowers organized in the stand and quickly paid the man behind the display. He let the man keep the change and turned to enter the store that C.C. had ducked into earlier. He paused at the entrance of the little shop, noticing it was a jewelry store, and saw C.C. at the opposite end examining herself in a large mirror on the wall. He slowly walked up behind her and looked at her reflection, noting the necklace she was now wearing; a small, simple golden cross with a topaz stone in the center. It matched her eyes perfectly, he noticed.

"A cross?" He asked, still examining her in the mirror. "You've never been much of a believer, as far as I remember."

She stared at her reflection, fiddling with the necklace thoughtfully. "Of course I don't believe in that nonsense, Lelouch."

"Then why a cross?"

She turned slightly, looking at herself from a new angle. "I've always liked the cross. The story behind it. The man who sacrificed himself for the sins of humanity, in order to save us from ourselves." Her eyes raised questioningly to his in the mirror. "Don't you agree?"

"Of course, I just never really thought you'd be the type to wear a cross."

She smiled as her eyes went back to the necklace, fumbling with the chain behind her neck. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Lelouch." She glanced back at him, giving him that signature smirk of hers.

He grinned and reached up to unlock the necklace for her, placing it in her palm. "I guess that's one of the things that makes you special."

She turned to look at him, surprised, but he had already moved to scrutinize one of the display cases nearby. "So what do you think I should get for Shirley?" he asked, leaning over the glass with his hands behind his back.

She blinked at him, taking a moment to respond. "Oh, um... It's hard to go wrong with jewelry, you know. It doesn't have to be anything flashy or expensive, but it needs to be impressionable. Don't get anything too big, but make sure it's not tiny either. It should be heartfelt, but not sappy."

Lelouch stared at her blankly. "That's... not confusing at all..."

She winked at him and moved to the display next to her, examining its contents closely. "Girls are confusing. You know this."

"Not all of them! If it were you, I'd just buy you a Pizza Hut gift card and be done with it."

"Yes, but I'm not like most girls. Plus, if it were me, you'd be in a lot worse shape than a hangover right now for sleeping in on our anniversary."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Point taken."

Suddenly, C.C. stopped and pointed at something behind the glass. "These."

He moved to her side and squinted at the jewelry she was pointing at; two simple emerald earrings. "Why these?" he asked.

"Seriously, Lelouch? It's pretty obvious."

He stared at them for a few seconds, scratching the back of his head.

"Something to do with color?" she prompted.

He looked back at her blankly.

She sighed at him. "Her eyes, Lelouch. They match her eyes."

"Oh! Right! Of course! I... yeah, I knew that." He continued to scratch the back of his head as his face turned pink. "Those will work, then?"

She gave him a look and sighed again. "Yeah, they'll work. Buy them, then let's get the rest of the stuff and head back to her place. We've got a big night to set up."

* * *

_"I talked to Suzaku earlier." It was late, but it wasn't unusual for him to call her around this time. He lay back against the wall with his legs stretched out on the bed in front of him._

_"Heh, me too. He's on another one of his crazy romantic escapades again. I'm guessing he told you that I'm suddenly madly in love with you or something, right?"_

_Lelouch laughed loudly, lightly tapping his head on the wall behind him. "Yeah, something like that. He sure has things figured out, doesn't he?" He prompted sarcastically._

_He could hear C.C. chuckle, and could picture her in that giant bed of hers, completely surrounded by pillows and clutching that ridiculous stuffed pizza animal. "Yeah, he told me something about how we are truly connected, and that somehow we haven't realized that we're meant for each other. Where does he get these ideas?"_

_"I don't know, I think he watches too much TV. He can't seem to accept that it's possible for a guy and a girl to be just friends. I mean, you and I have known each other pretty much our whole lives, you're my best friend. It's not like I'm going to give that up for some silly romantic endeavor."_

_"Yeah, but you can't explain that to him, he just doesn't want to hear it." She replied with annoyance in her voice. "It doesn't matter, though. You're my best friend, Lelouch, and I'm really grateful for that. I wouldn't want it any other way."_

_He couldn't help but smile a little, and was glad she couldn't see him. "Alright, alright, don't get all sappy on me! But I do agree. Best Friends Forever, right?"_

_She laughed. "Please don't remind me of those stupid rings! I had only recently managed to suppress the embarrassment from my memory. Why did you ever think it was a good idea to buy those!"_

_"Hey, I was eight! Give little me a break! And mock all you want, I know for a fact you still have yours in the little side pocket of your backpack."_

_There was a pause on the other end of the line, and he smiled as he imagined the rare blush that was inevitably on her face at the moment. "You sneaky bastard," she replied quietly, a hint of amusement in her tone._

_He chuckled and leaned his head against the wall. "Ah, it's nice to win one sometimes."_

_"Enjoy it while it lasts, boya."_

_"Oh, I am!"_

_She chuckled softly, then let out a long sigh. "Well, Lelouch, it's bed time."_

_He slumped down into his pillow and sighed in response. "Yeah, guess so. I'll see you at lunch tomorrow."_

_"Yep. Goodnight, Lelouch."_

_"Goodnight, C.C."_


End file.
